Mantel.



No. 652,5"). Patented June 26, I900;

- T. J. :6 0X.

M A NT E L.

(Application filed Sept. 30

, 1899.) (No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet l,

No. 652,5l0. Patented June 26, [900, T. J. COX.

MANTEL.

(Applicafion filed Sept. 30, 1899.) (N u M 0 11 al NlTED STATES MANTEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 652,510, dated June 26,1900-. Application filed September 30, 1899. Serial No. 732,226. (Nomodel.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.- 7

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. COX, a citizen of the United States,residing at Gainesville, in the county of Cooke and State of Texas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Mantels; and I do herebydeclare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to fireplace or opengrate heaters, the purposebeing to combine with this class of heaters means for preventing firebeing communicated to the room, furniture, hangings, and the like, tocontrol the effective heat radiation, and to provide a closure for thefront of the fireplace when the latter is not in use, as during thesummer season or warm spells and at such times when fire is notrequired. I

The invention is applied directly to the mantel 5 auditconsists,essentially,of a flexible screen, guard, or shield adapted towind upon a roller, the latter being housed in the space formed betweenthe shelf of the mantel and the headboard. V

The invention also contemplates an ornamental curtain for use when nofire is in the grate or heater, said curtain winding upon a rollerhoused in the same angular space with the shield.

The invention is to be used in connection with wooden, slate, metal, orany form of mantel, the construction, style, and pattern beingsubordinate to the nature of the invention.

Some of the many advantages resulting from the invention have beenindicated and others will suggest themselves as the nature of theinvention is fully comprehended.

With the foregoing objects in view the invention may be said to consistof the novel features,details of construction and combinations of theparts, which hereinafter will be more particularly set forth,illustrated, and finally embodied in the appended clauses of the claim.V v

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front View of a mantel of ordinaryconstruction, showing the application of the invention. Fig. 2 is avertical transverse section on theline X X of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is ahorizontal section on 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, showing the rollerfor the screen housed.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters. u

The style, construction, and make of mantel is unimportant within thescope and na-.

ture of the invention, as it is contemplated to apply the latter to anyform of mantel in use or to be constructed. The mantel shown is of thecabinet type and illustrates the general application of the inventionand comprises the shelf 1, headboard 2, and legs 3, the latter extendingupon opposite sides of the fireplace within which the open grate orheater (not shown) is located in the usual way. I

The fire-screen, guard, or shield 4 is constructed so as to wind upon aroller and may be of sheet metal or fireproof textile and is of a Widthto extend from one leg 3 to the other entirely across the fireplace. Aroller 5 is located in the angular space formed be. tween the shelf 1and the headboard 2 and is mounted in any convenient manner and has theupper end of the fire-screen 4 attached thereto and is adapted to berotated so as to wind said screen thereon. The roller 5 is designed tobe of the spring type, so as to automatically wind the lire-screen inthe manner well understood in the art of springshaderollers. An apron ordivision-board 6 is applied to the mantel and locatedin front of theheadboard 2 and spaced a short distance therefrom, said apron extendingfrom one leg 3 to the other. The fire-screen at is arranged to operatein the space formed between the apron 6 and the headboard 2 and isprovided at its lower end with a cross-bar 7, which is adapted to closethe lower end of thespace 8 when the fire-screen is wound upon theroller 5,'as indicated most clearlyin Fig. 5. The lower edge of theapron 6 is in a higher plane Fig. 4 is a detail view than the lower edgeof the headboard 2, and the cross-bar 7 comes in contact with the loweredge of the apron and is adapted to bear against the front side of theheadboard 2. The cross-piece 7, besides forming a closure for the space8, stiffens and strengthens the lower end of the fire-screen and has itsterminal portions arranged to operate in vertical grooves or guideways9, provided in the inner edges of the legs 3. The fire-screen 4 is of awidth to have its longitudinal edge portions enter the vertical groovesor guideways 9, thereby completely closing the fireplace when said guardor shield is lowered. A finger-grip 10 is applied to the cross-bar 7 andis adapted to be grasped when it is required to operate the fire-screen.

In order to prevent the casual displacement of the fire-screen whenlowered, catches 11 are disposed so as to engage with the end portionsof the cross-bar 7, and these catches may be of any construction and arepreferably located so as to project into the vertical grooves 9 andacross the path of the cross-bar 7, so as to be depressed when thefire-screen is lowered and automatically spring outward and engage withthe terminal portions of said cross-bar and hold the fire-screen loweredand against accidental displacement. Knobs 12'are attached to theprojecting stems of the catches 11 and are adapted to be pulled upon towithdraw said catches 11 from the path of the cross-bar 7 when it isrequired to elevate the fire-screen. These catches 11 are located at thelower ends of the vertical grooves or guideways 9.

During the summer season and at such periods when the heater is not inuse it is desirable to have the fireplace present a pleasing andornamental appearance, and to this end a fancy or ornamental curtain 13is provided and is adapted to wind upon a roller 14, located in theangular space 15, in which is placed the roller 5. This curtain 13 maybe embellished, ornamented, or finished accord ing to the caprice anddesign of the user and is disposed to operate in front of the apron ordivision-board 6. The rollers 5 and 14 may have any relativedisposition,aecordin g to the capacity of the space 15, and bypreference the roller 14 is placed above and in vertical line with theroller 5. In order that there may be no interference between thefire-screen and fancy curtain and their respective rollers, thefire-screen and fancy curtain are adapted to wind in reverse directionsupon their respective rollers, as most clearly indicated in Figs. 2 and5. The roller 14 is intended to be of the spring type, so as to admit ofthe curtain 13 winding automatically thereon. A cross-bar 16, having afingerpiece 17, is applied to the lower end of the fancy curtain 13, andits end portions are adapted to operate in vertical grooves or guideways18 in the edges of the legs 3, parallel with and adjacent to'theguideways 9. The curtain 13 is of a width to have its edge possibledegree.

material.

ed by the housing from fire.

portions enter the grooves 18, so as to completely close the fireplace.The rollers 5 and 14 are housed in the space 15 and concealed from viewby means of the breast or spanner 19, which extends from the shelf 1 toa point adjacent to the apron or division-board 6, a space 20intervening between the lower edge of the breast 19 and the upperportion of the apron to provide a passage for the curtain 13. This space20 is closed by the cross-bar 16 when the curtain 13 is wound upon itsroller. The breast 19, in addition to housing the rollers and shuttingthem off from view, forms a support and brace forthe shelf 1 and may bemolded, reeded, or carved to add materially to the finish andornamentation of the mantel.

To prevent vertical movement of the curtain 13 when drawn down, catches21, similar in construction and disposition to the catches 11, areprovided and applied to the legs of the mantel and normally projectacross the path of the end portions of the cross-bar 16 and into thevertical grooves or guideways 18. These catches yield to admit of thepassage of the cross-bar 16 and automatically move outward and engagewith the cross-bar 16 and hold it and the curtain 13 in a loweredposition. Knobs 22 are applied to the projecting ends or stems of thecatches 21 and provide finger-grips to enable said catches to be movedoutward from the path of the crossbar 16 when it is required to elevateit and the curtain connected therewith.

When the fire-screen and the curtain are not in service, they are woundupon their respective rollers, and the cross-bars applied thereto closethe spaces through which the said fire-screen and curtain operate,thereby excluding dust and preventing sparks or fire entering the space15. When the fire-screen is lowered, sparks and fire are prevented fromentering the room or apartment in which the fireplace is located, and bydrawing the firescreen down to a greater or less extent the effectiveheat radiated into the room may be controlled. When the heater is not inoperation, as in warm weather or at other times when fire is dispensedwith, the fancy curtain 13 is drawn so asto conceal the fireplace andornament the same and present a neat appearance.

It is contemplated to house the roller 5 to reduce the chances of fireto the smallest This housing is shown at 23 in Fig. 6 and incloses theroller 5 and has its end portions lining the walls of the passage 8 andis of metal or like fireproof sheet When the screen is drawn down,sparks entering the space 8 cannot cause fire because of the fireproofhousing 23, into which they are received. This is of especial advantagewhen the invention is applied to wooden mantels, as the parts 2 and 6are protected. The curtain 13 being combustible is protect- Hence thehousing is of benefit when applied to slate,

marble, or metal mantels. The shelf 1 is movable to admit of access tothe rollers and housing when desired for any purpose.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. Incombination, a mantel having an inclosed space immediately below theshelf, a headboard, an apron spaced from the headboard and lower edge ofthe housing, rollers located in the said housed space and in verticalline with the apron, screens adapted to wind upon the rollers in reversedirections from opposite sides of the apron, and bars applied to thelower ends of the screens and adapted to close the lower ends of thespace formed in the front and in the rear of the said apron,substantially as specified.

THOMAS J. ooX. [n 3.]

Witnesses:

J. L. PENTECOST, J. T. ADAMS.

